Ancient Rule Some 300,000 years ago the Ancients ruled all Known Space, including the Gashikan and Trenchan sectors. Ancient artifacts like the Labyrinth on Kesse and bombardment patterns on many Gashikan worlds prior to colonization stand as mute symbols of the Ancients power, especially the Final War which virtually wiped out every trace of their race from the galaxy.

Metamorph Wars Recorded in many local alien histories, the Metamorph Wars devastated the Gashikan sector between -15,000 and -13,000 but little is known about the Metamorphs' themselves. The Califax Pontificate, one of the oldest recorded civilizations in the galaxy, was destroyed during the fighting which lasted over 2,000 years and included several starfaring races.

Indil-Waro Conflict From -8,000 to -7,500 the Indil(a spider-like race) and the Waro(a lizoid species) colonized the Gashikan-Trenchan area. After several brief contacts fighting broke out between the two aggressive races, reducing both empires to minor states as entire colonies were bombed out of existence. Eventually both races became extinct but their legendary battles were recorded by the long-lived Dushau.

Dilgar Conquest A slave race of the Indil, the Dilgar were an extremely aggressive and innovative race that rose out of the ashes of the Indil-Waro Conflict. Lasting from -7,200 to -4,430, the Dilgar Empire reached a high level of technology, especially in the area of interstellar transportation. Building the only known Stargates in existence, many of which are still operational to this day, the Dilgar rapidly expanded after the fall of the Indil, completely wiping out their masters in just a few centuries. Using their newly created Stargates, the Dilgar went on to conquer the entire Gashikan sector, annihilating the weakened Waro and the more powerful Laowon Federation before they met their own demise at the hands of an unknown race in the 4,400s.

Early Colonization The Gashikan and Trenchan sectors were first colonized by the Vilani between -2220 and -1905 who sought to escape the conquest of the First Imperium by the Solomani. Wide-spread colonization by Solomani isolationists and adventurers in Gashikan/Trenchan sectors continued until the collapse of the Second Imperium in -1776. Although the Vargr race had occupied both sectors for several centuries, humans found many worlds in the area habitable and ready for exploitation.

Gashikan Empire Founded Rapid population increases and economic prosperity led to colonists on Gashikan and several adjacent worlds to declare their independance in -1666, establishing themselves as the Empire of Gashikan. Vargr worlds were granted equal status in the Empire as a gesture of human generosity but rebellious Vargr quickly moved against their human allies, resulting in the Sack of Gashikan in -1658.

The Sack of Gashikan Seeking greater autonomy, the newly independant Vargr in the Empire of Gashikan hired Vargr corsair bands to sack Gashikan in -1658. Fleets of Vargr corsairs destroyed the weak Gashikan Navy and used nuclear weapons against the planet to neutralize the remaining defenses. While the cities of Gashikan burned, the Vargr corsairs landed and looted at will. The Sack of Gashikan shocked human settlements as far rimward as Antares. Throughtout the entire area the Gashikan incident sparked self-perpetuating hatred and violence between humans and Vargr, starting the Race Wars, which lasted nearly a millenium. Several planets allied to Gashikan began immeadiate relief efforts after the Sack but it took over 150 years for Gashikan to recover it's former glory.

Emperor William the Great After a meteoric rise in the military, General William Grayson set about restoring order on Gashikan, moving the planet back into space and reestablishing interstellar trade in just twelve short years. After disarming local threats to his power he was 'persuaded' by the Gashikan Council to take the Emperorship, forming the Second Empire of Gashikan in -1477. An exceptional administrator and tactician, William the Great was known for beginning a major cultural renaissance on Gashikan and funding extravagant building programs around the planet. Emperor William also began a massive build-up of the Gashikan Navy and in -1463 he attacked Vargr colonies throughout the Gashikan subsector. During his reign Emperor William peacefully encouraged several nearby worlds to join the Empire while other xenophobically anti-Vargr planets flocked to his banner as the First Race War expanded into a genocidal campaign against nearby Vargr worlds. William the Great died in a savage engagement while attacking the Gaellik Outworlds in -1440 when his dreadnought came under fire by planetary batteries and although he ruled a short time he was remembered for restoring the Gashikan Empire back to greatness.

Machine Wars For centuries the planet Vemla had built sophisticated robots which it then sold across the sector to wealthy merchants and nobles but in -1520 Seris Saren built the first positronic android at the Troisk Labs on Vemla's southern continent. Within 100 years there were three main classes of androids: Alpha units, which were used by scienists for research; Beta units, which were widely used for domestic tasks; and Gamma units, which were designed for repetative tasks and dangerous work. Decades passed until in -1390 a wave of unrest swept the Alpha units which spread quickly to the more numerous Beta units. Before long the unrest became outright rebellion, which escalated rapidly into full-scale warfare between the androids and the Vemlans. Outclassed by the Vemlan Armed Forces, the androids began using terrorist tactics: poisons and nerve gases, radioactive dust, biowarfare agents, special androids that went into berserk killing rages or carried explosives into populated areas, even nuclear weapons. In a last-ditch defense the Vemlans planned a push to wipe out the androids, which suceeded in forcing them off the planet. The ruthless fighting left Vemla devastated and directly led to the conquest of Vemla by the Empire of Gashikan in -1305.

The Wreck of the Katherine Jeury The Gashikan starliner Katherine Jeury was the first victim in the war against the Fanrats, the name given to the pirates in Gashikan Sector who rose in the early days of the Second Empire. The Kate was carrying over 3,000 passengers to the Everest System when she was captured and destroyed in -1355. Few of her passengers survived, leading to Gashikan officials authorizing "pirate hunters" for the first time in it's history. The Fanrats were eventually wiped out during a thirty year crusade but their legacy of brutal piracy lives on.

First Race War Intense hatred for Vargr and persistent fear within the Second Empire of Gashikan led Emperor William the Great to attack several large Vargr empires adjacent to Gashikan in -1463. The Gashikan Navy, using short-lived radioactives and poisons in a massive and ruthless campaign of terror, eradicated over thirteen billion Vargr in it's first six months of operations. Although the fighting lasted 72 years the Second Empire of Gashikan was able to finally overwhelm it's opponents, the Knaelk Initiate, Ghaefoll Cooperative, and the more powerful Gaellik Outworlds. Only the mysterious high-tech Union of Yoetygg was able to withstand the Gashikan Navy, which eventually turned it's attention towards unification with several 'lost' Gashikan colonies(First Unification War).

First Battle of Blackbird When the Blackbird System was discovered by Gashikan explorers in -1878 it had a single desolate planet, a perfect dumping ground for anti-bureaucrats, Lionels, Builders, eco-freaks, anarchists, and hardened criminals from many worlds. The Blackbird System was also a strategic jump nexus to other planets across the Jerhattan Sector and when the Blackbird System declared formal independance in -1446 and confiscated all Gashikan military property to see that their constitution was respected, the Gashikan Navy attacked. The First Battle of Blackbird ended after brief fighting destroyed most of the makeshift Blackbird fleet.

First Unification War Most of what is now considered the Second Empire of Gashikan fell under it's control during the First Unification War. Lasting from -1391 to -1150, Gashikan took great pride in it's hard-fought victories until expansion brought it into conflict with the Rusadir, a large alliance of high-population industrial worlds. With the human and economic stakes too high and the risk of war too great, the Rusadir sought isolation but the Empire launched a massive high-speed attack on the Rusadir in -1300. Due to a dismal record of offensive operations in the early stages of a war the Empire finally conquered the Rusadir in a savage 42 year war. The Michaeline Alliance and the Union of the Human Sphere(UHS) were conquered immeadiately after the fall of the Rusadir, bringing many independant planets into the Empire

Eternal's War The blue-skinned Dushau are a species similar to humans but are highly telepathic and extremely long-lived; some are over 5,000 years old. Called Eternal's by jealous Gashikan officials, the Dushau had never colonized and when the Empire of Gashikan decided to occupy their homeworld in -1325 the Dushau fought back using high tech weaponry and AI-guided ships. The Dushau held off the entire blockading fleet for ten years until the Holot Empire and their Lehiroh allies intervened on the Dushau's behalf, ending the conflict in -1316.

Regency Council In an attempt to gain popular support among the nobles and powerful corporations, Emperor Roger I created the Imperial Regency Council in -1270. The most influential planets were appointed to the Council and all of the 12 planets were high-population worlds. This enabled lesser nobles and the people of the Empire a greater say in Imperial affairs.

Second Race War Seeking power for himself, Fleet Admiral Janos Brand goaded Emperor Edward the Weak into attacking the Union of Yoetygg and other independant Vargr planets in Izar subsector. Admiral Brand's attempt to place himself on the Throne using popular support stalled when the Union of Yeotygg beat back every Gashikan attack using high-tech weaponry. Lasting from -1150 to -1083(67 years) the Second Race War resulted in the deaths of 18 billion Vargr and left the Empire occupying the Mohd Homeworld.

Emperor Michael the Strong Emperor Michael I lived in an era of great prosperity for the Second Empire of Gashikan. Realizing that Gashikan was becoming heavily over-populated, Michael the Strong established the Gashikan Bureau of Colonization(BuCol) in -1103 and built vast orbital habitats using the heavy industrial mining of the Gashikan home system. He created the Cartels to encourage industry and trade and also set up the highly respected Zephrain R&D Center. He also maintaned a genocidal campaign against the Vargr for several years but halted the Second Race War in -1083 to more fully concentrate his attention on restoring Gashikan's control over 'lost' colonies throughtout the sector. The Second War of Unification saw major wars which raged across the sector, causing massive economic disruption to the Rose Worlds, the main coalition of planets which fought the Empire. Emperor Michael I was killed in -1075 when his command ship was destroyed in the Second Battle for Sapriportus. He was best known for increasing the wealth of the Empire and opening up several new subsectors for colonization, at the expense of the former Vargr owners.

Second Unification War Started by Emperor Michael the Strong in -1083 when he attacked the powerful Rose Worlds in Yencheng subsector. This war caused irreprable economic damage to the Rose Worlds but the Empire absorbed the Rose Worlds at the end of the eight year war.

First Pikean Civil War After centuries of coveting the strategic Pike System, Gashikan officials had solidified their claim to the planet, emplacing a loyal Imperial Senator(Hanse Anderman) as Governor of Pike in -1091. As the Empire turned it's attention to more urgent matters, Governor Anderman began setting up an absolutist monarchy in his name and oppressing the previous rulers, the religious Cortez family. In -952 tensions exploded into violence between the Anderman monarchy and the Cortez family and their corporate allies, Goddard Power Sats and Blink Mining. Imperial Gashikan troops placed Pike under marshal law but fanatical guerilla warfare, including the indiscrimnant use of tactical nuclear weapons, forced the Anderman family to call for additional Imperial assistance. Although the conflict was brief(two years) and over seven million Pikeans perished in the fighting, the Cortez family vowed to continue their fight. Large Imperial forces remained on the planet for over 150 years before being withdrawn.

Malcolm the Conquerer Perhaps the greatest of all Gashikan Emperors, Malcolm I began his tenure with a massive build-up of military forces and refitting older naval units to more modern specs. He began the Third Race War by attacking several rogue Vargr states in Macedon subsector, completely shattering all Vargr opposition. The campaign against the Vargr lasted fourteen years then Emperor Malcolm put down the rebellion in the Blackbird System and the Uller Uprising, ending the Third Unification War. In -944, Malcolm the Conqueror attacked the entrenched Vargr colonies in the Quest subsector, starting the Fourth Race War, destroying all organized resistance in just twelve short years.

Hur'rikku War After centuries of expansion the Second Empire of Gashikan encountered the alien Hur'rikku in Uller subsector. A technologically advanced race, the Hur'rikku looked like a cross between a ten foot tall sail and a black octopus and were highly pacifistic. Although they had colonized few worlds the Empire saw them as a serious threat and attacked the Hur'rikku worlds in -1087. Though heavily outnumbered, the Hur'rikku fought back viciously and, using their high-tech antimatter missiles and white globes, destroyed the high-population world Llyra in -1085, killing 21 billion Gashikan citizens. The Hur'rikku were eventually overcome and obliterated by the Empire but not before leaving a swath of carnage in their wake.

Sime/Gen Contact In -1044 the Gashikan Exploratory Service stumbled onto a Earth-type planet called Nivet, home to a mutated race of humans. The vampiric Simes were at war with the selyn-producing Gens, dividing the planet into Sime and Gen Territories. The Gashikan Diplomatic Corps intervened on the Gen side but eventually Sime/Gen Householdings, led by Householding Zeor, established a permanent peace on Nivet. Zeor Industries expanded to become a major cartel and full-scale Sime/Gen colonization across the subsector began in -947.

Third Race War Started by Emperor Malcolm the Conqueror, the Third Race War began in -966 when the Empire of Gashikan started it's '"limited" scorched-earth policy in Macedon subsector. An ugly, brutal tactic, it was ultimately successful in destroying all Vargr colonies in Macedon within fourteen years.

Third Unification War The Third Unification War began in -952 when guerillas on Uller, after years of assassinating key opponents, hitting isolated army posts, and conducting urban hit-and-run raids, overthrew the Gashikan Governor in the strategic Uller System. A similar uprising in the Blackbird System also succeeded in throwing out Empire rule, provoking a major military response from Emperor Malcolm. After two years of constant economic and military pressure, as well as extreme violence, the uprisings were put down. Gashikan military officers purged the local armed forces by "decapitation"; removing the admirals and generals and assumed control themselves, ensuring the loyalty of the junior officers at gunpoint.

Fourth Race War In -944 the Empire of Gashikan began moving across Quest subsector, encountering suicidal Vargr resistence. The Empire killed so many Vargr and starved the rest into submission that the Julian Protectorate broke diplomatic relations with the Empire in -938. The deliberate genocide of so many noncombatant Vargr also led to rescue missions by Julian-based Vargr.

Fourth Unification War Lasting from -922 to -895, the Fourth Unification War was caused by overconfidence and contempt by the Empire of Gashikan and the failure of serious negotiations by the proud and successful Oranea armed forces. The Gashikan Navy, while not entirely neutral politically, were not nearly as involved with running the government as was their Oranea counterparts were with theirs. The simmering conflict between the two powers broke into total war in -912, resulting in victory for the Empire in ten short years of fighting. Gashikan absorbed the Oranea Opposition and continued to expand across the sector until the Luren Alliance attacked the Empire in -920.

Interabi Front War A powerful interstellar state in Trenchan Sector, the Luren Empire largely ignored the Second Empire of Gashikan's expansion until -920, when the Luren attacked the Empire and occupied eight border worlds, sparking the Interabi Front War. While the vampiric Luren decimated the occupied worlds the Gashikan Navy struck back within the year from the Huntsman System, liberating several Gashikan worlds before the war stalemated along stable lines. The war dragged on for 53 years until the Gashikan Navy gained the upper hand in -868 when the planet Interabi was seized from the Luren. In the end the Luren homeworld was occupied and was interdicted by the Gashikan Navy for two thousand years before the Luren were admitted into the Empire as full citizens due to the vampiric nature of this race.

Fifth Race War Vargr corsairs had plagued the second Empire of Gashikan for centuries, hitting isolated colonies and keeping the Gashikan Navy off guard until Emperor Malcolm II began a long-term campaign of eredicating the Vargr pirates and smaller Vargr colonies near Gashikan space. Lasting from -867 to -801, this war ended individual Vargr raids into the Empire for several hundred years.

TMC War Contact with the Thissera-Micean Cooperative in -801 led to immediate hostilities. The much larger Gashikan Navy occupied over half of the Cooperative until heavy naval losses and declining moral among Empire citizens led to a cessation of the conflict after 51 years.

Enzyme Reaction 42 In -798 a horrifying disease broke out in the heart of the Empire of Gashikan. Enzyme Reaction 42 was an increadibly contagious and 100% fatal virus, which spread to eighteen worlds, killing over 35 billion people, including Emperor James II and most of his immediate family. The virus was contained in -783 but not before leaving a swath of destruction in the core worlds of the Empire.

Queen Caitrin Enthroned in -755, Queen Caitrin was one of the longest reigning monarchs on the Gashikan Throne, upon her death in -700. She was also the first female Grayson to rule the Empire since her older brother's tragic death in a grav skiing accident in -759. Queen Caitrin established a full-scale jump communications network, laid down the first superdreadnoughts, and built the first Bolos (powerful sentient megatanks), creating the Dinochrome Brigade. The Dinochrome Brigade began deploying their Terrible-class Bolos in defense of the Empire in -741, quickly achieving major victories at Santa Cruz and Gysmar. Queen Caitrin also began broad economic reforms, disempowering the Cartels and financing major colonization and terraforming efforts. After agressive moves by several local 'Red' Vargr states in -750, Queen Caitrin began the Sixth Race War by nuking Ngolfaegfk, capital of the Ngolfarg Massive. Although the Sixth Race War outlasted her reign, Queen Caitrin enlarged her Empire by several subsectors during her time on the Throne.

Sixth Race War The Ngolfarg Massive was a powerful Vargr state that came into conflict with the Second Empire of Gashikan during the reign of Queen Caitrin. For decades the Empire had been systematically raided by Vargr corsairs who used the Ngolfarg Massive as a staging ground, provoking Queen Caitrin into engineering raids of her own against "pirate bases" deep within the Massive. It wasn't until -750, when agressive Vargr corsairs raided Typee, Brigadoon, Mawli, and Mathison's World, killing every inhabitant on these Gashikan worlds, that Queen Caitrin decided to move against the Massive. It took eighty years of bitter fighting and cost the Vargr billions of dead but the Empire of Gashikan finally overcame the Ngolfarg Massive in -670.

Destruction of Shishkala For centuries the polar caps on the Gashikan world Shishkala had rapidly increased in size, creating a significant planetary wobble. Many Gashikan scientists thought the planet wouldn't shift on it's axis due to the polar wobble and all Gashikan officials were surprised when it did exactly that in -616. The planetary government collapsed under hurricane winds and massive tidal waves which laid waste to the entire planet, killing all 12 billion inhabitants. Recriminations abounded within the subsector but later the gold in Shishkala's treasury was taken offplanet and distributed to the survivors.

Regency Council Coup After Malcolm III died without issue in -588, the Imperial Regency Council(which represent the twelve most powerful worlds in the Empire) took control of the Second Empire of Gashikan by staging a coup. In the Battle of Royale, the last claimant to the throne, Grand Duke Henryk Adlai-Grayson, died aboard his dreadnought and the Regency Council sealed it's rule over the Empire.

Rezhyk Coup Duke of Collangotta and Council Elector Smada Rezyhk initiated a violent coup against the other Council members in -540 and immeadiately started the Seventh Race War to quell internal dissent against his illegal assumption of authority. Admiral Marc Sarnow and the single surviving member of the Council, Duke Eduard de Courcy, opposed Smada Rezhyk who fell from power in -538 at the Battle of Ivan's Sun.

Seventh Race War Lasting from -540 to -410, this war was started by Council Elector Rezhyk after his coup against the Regency Council. Xenophobic hatred throughout the Empire fueled the war against the Vargr-controlled Union of Yoetygg and the Ullaek Combine even after the death of Duke Rezyhk. Early successes against the Ullaek Combine destroyed that state quickly but fighting between the Empire and the high-tech Union of Yoetygg continued for 130 years, ending in stalemate.

Bran Coris Duke of Rodessa and Elector, he tried to overthrow the Regency Council in -537 but was stopped by his wife and son.

Shaking Plague In -515 Shaking Plague, a Sime/Gen specific disease, broke out on the planet Nivet, killing over 22 million people. Spreading quickly to other planets in Zeor subsector, it killed 140 million Simes and Gens before it was contained. This virulent outbreak led the Tecton, the interplanetary government of Simes and Gens, to change the way selyn was collected from Donor Gens thru Sime Channels to the majority renSimes, halting the rapid spread of the disease and making containment much more likely.

Second Pikean Civil War After forging an alliance with the powerful mafia Benini family and Blink Enterprises, Governor Adrian Anderman began to move against the Cortez family in -515 in an effort to finally rid the Pike System of their influence. Supported by Goddard Power Sats, HiberShip, but few of the local populace, the Cortez family was ill-prepared for the conflict. Moving quickly, Governor Anderman assaulted the fortified lands of the Cortez family with Gashikan Marines, killing all but two of the Cortez family. The Democratic Underground Army(DUA) was also extremely active at this time and stepped up it's attacks on government officials, actually assassinating the Governor in -514. Several Regency Council members were killed while visiting Pike during the power struggle to suceed to the Governorship and the fighting escalated rapidly. Within a few months widespread nuclear strikes devastated the Pike System and the Gashikan Navy finally halted the fighting in -511. Over 85 million Pikeans were killed and during the fighting the Pikeans lost their first large-scale colonization ship(with 85,000 colonists in hibernation on board!), 87 Goddard Power Sats, an experimental antimatter extraction array in solar orbit, hundreds of Pikean warships, fourty-four orbital workshacks and farms, and the Majoris gas giant refining stations. The resulting devastation dropped the Pike System from HT16 to pre-Jump levels(TL9).

Freighnar Commonwealth Assimilated The Freighnar Commonwealth was a conglomerate of several worlds obtained with the support of other nearby races, but the Freighnar's had tremendous difficulty maintaining their sophisticated technology, especially jump drive. When the Second Empire of Gashikan contacted the Freghnar Commonwealth in -477, trade between Freighnar worlds had dropped to nearly nonexistant levels as jump drives failed and were not repaired. Five years after contact the Freghnar's had been assimilated into the Empire, the first peaceful takeover of an alien race in the Empire's long history.

Sean Derry Earl of Derry, this influencial noble stopped the disastrous Seventh Race War in -410, allowing the Second Empire of Gashikan to restore some of it's lost naval strength and quell factional fighting on several important Gashikan planets. Sean Lord Derry ascended to the highest levels of government before being assassinated in -399.

Third Pikean Civil War Long supressed hatred turned into open warfare in the strategic Pike System in -409. After years of plotting a coup, the Cortez family moved against Governor "Crazy" Ivan Anderman and his immediate family. During the fighting on Pike and the accompanying confusion on Gashikan Admiral Amos Parnell attempted a coup against the Regency Council. The military coup was quickly put down by loyalist forces but the fighting continued to spread.

Pierre Coup A few years later, Duke-Elector Robert Stanton Pierre personally executed Duke-Elector Jared McLain at a peace conference on Pike while attempting a coup against the Regency Council itself. Elector Jared McLain's heir, Kevin McLain, died onboard the dreadnought GNS Relentless as it sought desperately to retreat from the Pike Systemduring the coup. Admiral Sonja "Horrible" Hemphill was Pierre's lover and sided with him in his coup attempt. Duncan McLain, Jared's youngest son, was confirmed Duke-Elector and headed the loyal Council counterthrust into the Pike System in a bid to capture Duke Pierre and halt the Third Pikean Civil War. Duke Pierre was killed in the Mithra System and the Third Pikean Civil War was difused four years after it started.

Houseman Takeover Attempt In -377 the Duke-Elector of Waldsheim(Reginald Houseman) attempted a radical economic takeover of the Empire of Gashikan. Using his position on the Regency Council and supported by Sidney Harris, President of New Zurich, the takeover nearly succeeded until it was put down by Admiral Yancey Parks. Moving quickly, Admiral Parks overpowered New Zurich's local system defenses and landed Drop Commandos at the capital, secured the area, and arrested Houseman. President Harris committed suicide and New Zurich's financial accounts were seized by Gashikan Council officials, ending the coup.

New Council Coup In the aftermath of the Houseman disaster and the economic chaos it created, Duke-Elector Eduard Pierre attemtped a coup against the Regency Council in -370. Several important Council members sided with Pierre, forming the New Council, which very nearly succeeded in overthrowing the old Council. Duke-Elector Pavel Young sided with Pierre but was killed in a duel with Commodore Van Slyke when his naval units in the Gashikan System put down the coup. Oscar Saint-Just, head of the Bureau of Mental Hygiene, also sided with Pierre but was killed when Van Slyke's Drop commandos assaulted Government House while retaking Gashikan from the New Council. Admiral Elaine Dumarest also sided with Duke Pierre during the coup and was credited with the deaths of 35,000 personnel of the Gashikan Skywatch. When they refused to surrender to the New Council Admiral Dumarest opened fire on the orbital forts with Gashikan's impressive planetary batteries. She was killed when her dreadnought GNS Magnificent was destroyed while retreating from the Gashikan System. Commodore Van Slyke's quick actions brought an end to the coup, established a caretaker government until new Electors were installed, and was formally declared a hero of the State, receiving the coveted Star of Grayson for his heroism.

Eighth Race War Duke-Electo Eduard Pierre staged a coup against the Regency Council and began the Eighth Race War in -370 by destroying Fgelfaek, a major Vargr Potentate naval base. The war expanded to include the Olgaek CoDominion and lasted until -321. The ability of the Gashikan Navy to rapidly deploy substantial firepower on short notice ended the conflict quickly but the Gashikan Navy took heavy losses among it's frigate/destroyer-class vessels, promting a naval review of warship construction within the Empire.

Torenthi Coup Duke-Elector Lionel Torenth attempted a violent takeover of the Empire of Gashikan in -331 with the help of his family. Captain Aaron Torenth (Duke Lionel's nephew) was deployed to the Gashikan System at the time and helped in the takeover attempt by suborning several naval units to assist him. His sister, Senior Administrator Alicia Torenth, scambled the emergency and military channels on the planet, allowing the coup to take place without anyone realizing that it had occurred. The coup would have succeeded if a special palace guard had not been on duty that day. The guard, Dhugal MacArdry, had a family talent that allowed him to teleport instantly to nearly anywhere on Gashikan. MacArdry single-handedly saved the entire Regency Council from Duke Torenth by individualy teleporting them out of the palace, for which he was elevated to the peerage and received the Star of Grayson for extraordinary service and valor.

Torsee Province Clashes When the Gashikan Foreign Office learned that the Torsee Province planet New Andorra was supplying the Gashikan world Ganpati with advanced weapons in it's war with the Cerrunans (another Gashiakn world) in -301, the Gashikan Navy moved rapidly into the region and occupied several Torsee worlds, installing puppet governments, and setting up depots to further the Gashikan naval advance towards New Andorra. With the threat of outside intervention from the Empire of Gashikan, New Andorra, which had risen in prominance as an arms dealing planet, sought contracts with several independant mercenary groups and used it's diplomatic and economic leverage to forge an alliance with the Julian League. Attempts at diplomacy with the involved powers were not successful and the liklihood of a widening of the conflict, the Empire withdrew into itself once more. Years of relative calm resulted until -288, when the high-population Torsee planet Rommel was caught smuggling weapons to it's Gashikan-conquered colony Wellington. Empire officials made threatening noises but Rommel escalated the conflict by staging capital ships just inside Wellington's jump limit, provoking a Gashikan military response. When the Gashikan Navy challenged the Rommel warships they were soundly defeated, prompting a push by Rommel to re-occupy it's colony. Serious fighting broke out in Wellington, Newholme, and Rommel as subsector fleets inside the Empire were diverted to the Frontier . The Torsee world Newgrange was destroyed during the fighting and the hi-tech Rommel fleet annihilated the 101st Gashikan Fleet in -278 using their newest Ultra-EE class battleships. With the threat of direct League interference, the Empire of Gashikan was forced to the negotiating table, halting the fighting, but not before Wellington was scoured of all life by the Empire in retribution.

First Ruler War War broke out between the Empire of Gashikan and the powerful Vargr state Ruler of Five in -277 when units from the 145th Frontier Fleet opened fire on a Ruler colony fleet in the Gashikan -claimed Whitman System. During the twenty-year war, the high-tech Ruler Planetoid Fleet overwhelmed the more numerous Gashikan Navy and demolished most of the Empire's forward bases in the Zone(the unclaimed area between the Empire and the Ruler state). Fleet Admiral Stephen Northstar conducted the only successful campaign during the war while Rear-Admiral Evi Isham was credited with saving most of the 147th and 163rd Frontier Fleets when they fell into a devastating Ruler trap in -259. The greatest Gashikan personnel losses occurred during the failed campaign of Commodore Zorn, the Tolat commander of the Heinlein Combat Region in -258 when the powerful Planetoid Fleet decimated the 177th Frontier Fleet in the Engler System. After heavy loss of life, the Gashikan Admiralty suspended operations against Ruler of Five to rethink their strategy.

Second Ruler War Lasting from -240 to -233, the Gashikan Navy achieved strategic surprise over the Ruler of Five and drove deep into Ruler territory, destroying Vargr bases and colonies in the Bali subsector at the beginning of the conflict. Victory quickly turned to defeat when the high-tech Ruler Fleet, using their newly aquired black globe technology, devastated Admiral Carl Bok's Central Fleet in -238. Admiral Achmed Mohammed led the Gashikan Navy into the worst defeat ever in the Battle for Goodman's Sun, in which over 2,000 Gashikan Navy ships were destroyed or heavily damaged by Ruler battleships encased in black globes. The Gashikan Navy responded by building Star King Centrals in strategic systems within the Zone. Major fighting took place in the Columbus, Voyager, and Horseye Combat Regions before the conflict ended.

Third Ruler War Dubbed the "Final War" by historians, fighting between the Empire and the Ruler of Five began again in -292 and lasted until -180(112 years!). During this devastating war, both sides lost heavily due to advancements in armaments and other military technology. Fleet Admiral Lafayette Rabinowitz used Gashikan's new LLRM(Lethal Long Range Missile) and AABs(Automatic Attack Bits) during the important Battle of Patterson, swiftly defeating the more numerous Ruler units in the system. The Ruler counterattack in -237 took the Empire by surprise, shattering the 87th Frontier Fleet under Admiral Michelle Blanc in the Urias System. When the Ruler Fleet broke thru the Zone defenses in -233, Admiral Imra'han ambrov Imil (a Gen) and Vice-Admiral Finn Cavanaugh blocked the Ruler Fleet's drive into Gashikan space in the Battle of Goodhunting. These series of wars caused ruinous damage to both empires and the formal cessation of hostilities was finalized in late -233 by Ambassador Lu Sing Quaid, a neutral observer from the planet Cetacea.

Psi Guards Created in -177 to police foreign influence within the Empire, the Psionic Guards became a feared name after people began being picked up and disappeared, never to be seen again. The Psi Guards was incorporated into the Bureau of Mental Hygiene thirty years later and continues to exert it's power over the citizenry of the Empire.

Tripean War After decades of peaceful trade, the Empire of Gashikan attacked and conquered the Tripean Vistulate in a nasty 28 year war. Lasting from -150 to -122, the war devastated the Tripean colonies and inflicted significant naval losses on the Gashikan Navy before the fighting ended.

Chlorzi War An enigmatic race, the methane-breathing Chlorzi were a reptilian species located in Delphia subsector. The Second Empire of Gashikan stumbled across a Chlorzi colony world and frontier fleets were quickly mobilized. War between the two powers broke out in -104 when negotiations failed and lasted an amazing 88 years due to the tenacity of the Chlozi commanders. The Chlorzi were eventually overwhelmed, their homeworld occupied, and were forced to give up their colonies. The famous "Last Fleet" of 137 Chlorzi ships, ranging from small freighters to full-sized colony vessels, fled to coreward, seeking a safe haven for Chlozi propagation. It was during the last stages of this war that the Empire began deploying space fighters and strike carriers for the first time.

Reformation War In -110 war broke out between the ever expanding Empire of Gashikan and the Reformation Group, a cluster of religious planets in Ramses subsector. Spirited defense by Reformation forces extended the war until the Empire used massive nuclear attacks on high-population Reformation worlds, forcing their surrender in -88. Although it lasted only 22 years, the Reformation War caused 42 billion casualties, mostly Reformation civilians, earning the Empire of Gashikan a bloody reputation.

Rh/attes War An important ally of the Reformation Group, the Rh/attes Republic earned the enmity of the Empire of Gashikan by sending war material, medical supplies, and agroproducts to the Reformation Group during it's protracted war with the Empire. Although the Rh/attes began a major military build-up at the height of the Reformation War, they were still unprepared for the massive offensive the Empire made against them immediately following the conflict with their Reformation allies. The Rh/attes and their allies, including Admiral Daala and the remnants of the Reformation fleet, held off the Empire forces for decades until the Gashikan juggernaut finally overwhelmed the Rh/attes homeworld in 20, resulting in a brief cease fire. With both sides exhausted after 108 years of continual fighting, the cease fire was continued indefinetly, leaving half of the Rh/attes Republic to be amalgamated with the Julian League three years later.

First Julian Border Dispute Wide-scale expansion by the Second Empire of Gashikan into the Indus subsector in 216 sparked fighting between Gashikan naval units and Julian-allied ships and colonies. Gashikan's two year effort to establish a secure border captured several high-population worlds and led to the amalgamation of the remaining Thissera-Micean worlds into the Julian League in 218.

Second Julian Border Dispute When the Empire of Gashikan decided to move against the Julian League in 237, which at the time was locked in a internal power struggle, the main objective was to weaken the members of the League which were closest to the Empire's borders by capturing their capital worlds. Lightining strikes by the Gashikan Navy bogged down in the heavily defended Shinault, Lynx, and Andra Systems. A Julian fleet on patrol in the D'shanna System destroyed several invading Gashikan battlegroups as they were refueling at the system's gas giant. Although the Gashikan Navy made little progress during it's ten-month offensive against the League, it earned they enmity of all foreign powers within the sector.

Third Julian Border Dispute Started by the Gashikan Navy in 299 and lasting just four months, this border dispute was an effort by the Empire to invade the Dakota Subsector. Advanced nuclear mines and excellent tactics by the Dakota fleet commanders held the Empire at bay in Hilversun, Jankowski, and D'shanna Systems until reinforcements could arrive. The devastating Empire raid resulted in the desertification of planet Dakota's southernmost continent but failed to move the League fleets out of the defending systems, thereby holding the line against the Empire.

Femocrat Party Founder of the Femocrat Party on Decius, Amanda Pel became Gashikan's first independant political party leader. Not only a feminist, but also a disliker of men, Ms. Pel imprinted her views on the expanding Femocrat leadership. An extremely able administrator, she renamed her homeworld Femocrat, purged all men from the planet, and began a campaign of political expansion within the Empire. Denounced as too extreme, the Regency Council outlawed the Femocrat Party, brutally suppressing the movement in 337. Small cell groups have survived on Femocrat and several other worlds but have kept a low profile lest Empire Marines be sent in.

Fourth Julian Border Dispute During the first half of 404 the Julian League was wracked by sectarian violence, encouraging the Empire to test the resolve of the League by invading the Rim subsector in early March of the same year. After securing the strategic Frogstar System, Empire forces met heavy resistance as they moved to occupy Occisis, capital of the Rim Systems. This so-called "Eight Weeks War" damaged relations between the Empire and the League so badly that several prominent states within the League advocated total war against the Empire, but calmer heads prevailed.

Dianus Plague Starting in 414 on the planet Dianus in the Julian League, this virulent plague wiped out entire planetary populations and severely weakened the Second Empire of Gashikan when it swept thru the Empire despite stringent quarantine measure. An estimated 100 billion people died across four sectors before a cure was found in a Indus System orchid.

Subspace Communications Discovered In 505 the researcher Dr. Benjimin Blink of the Pike System discovered the unique properties of subspace and within a year had built the first known subspace communications device. This breakthrough of fast communication was a major innovation for the Empire.Instantly 'bought' by the Empire and placed under high security, the subspace communicator has been a closely guarded state secret for 600 years and to this date only major planets and capital ships of the Gashikan Navy have subspace communications equipment.

Warden Discovers Atlanton Earth Hal Warden was something of a legend among Gashikan scouts, a man who disliked most everything about civilization, not least the people. Warden spent as little time as possible in "civilization", often just long enough to refuel and reprovision. He flew farther, longer, and more often than any other Gashikan scout before or since, and his discoveries were astonishing in their numbers alone. Unfortunately for his bosses back in the Empire, Warden felt that discovery was his only purpose. He left just about everything else, including preliminary surveys and reports, to those who would use his beamed coordinates to follow him. When the fabled scout found the equally fabled world Atlanton Earth in 617 he became instantly famous across the Empire. Scout and military vessels around the Empire had been searching for the lost colony world since the Sack of Gashikan, when the Empire lost touch with this important planet immeadiately following the Vargr attack on Gashikan. Although Atlanton Earth refused to rejoin the Empire, many famous works of art and pre-Empire documents were returned to the Imperial Repository on Gashikan.

Fifth Julian Border Disupte This border dispute began after continued support from the planet Llaegharrgh in the Ryttn Hegemony fueled extensive corsair raids into the Empire. The Regency Council sought to punish the Ryttn with raids of it's own, which quickly escalated into fleet-wide battles throughtout the Hegemony. The planet Llaegharrgh was raided by the Gashikan Navy, which used extensive nuclear strikes against the high-population Vargr world, causing over two hundred million deaths. League fleets eventually pushed the Empire back, ending the conflict seven months after it started. Date was 515.

Sixth Julian Border Dispute The Empire of Gashikan began this border dispute when it tried to isolate and conquer the Rim Systems in 622, after months of preparation by the Gashikan Navy. The Empire's devastating raid against the high-population Vargr world Gvurrorrg deep within the Andran League was the starting point of the conflict, which lasted only three months. Superior League warships countered the Empire's thrust into the Rim Systems, destroying several Gashikan fleets in the 3rd Battle of Occisis, ending the conflict on terms favorable to the League.

Seventh Julian Border Dispute The Ryttn Hegemony ignited this border conflict after League supplies were found by Gashikan officials in a Black Angel stronghold deep within the Empire. The Black Angels were a piratical terrorist group that operated within the Empire of Gashikan for several hundred years before being wiped out in the Angel War of 951. After repeated attempts by Gashikan diplomats to halt Ryttn support of the Angels, several Gashikan Border Fleets invaded the Hegemony in 717. The heavy Ryttn system defenses held the Empire forces at bay while League fleets were mobilized and moved to relieve the Ryttn homeworld. The conflict lasted only four months but capital ship losses for the Empire and League both were quite high.

Succession Wars In 755 the planet Middle Finger declared independance after centuries of intermittent struggle with the Empire. The rapid collapse of Gashikan control on this distant world further enboldened several other planets to declare their independance as well. Faced with the possibility of the dissolution of the Empire, the Regency Council refused to give political recognition to the rebel planets, and the Gashikan Navy moved against the breakaway worlds. The planets Kesse, Samuel, Free, Kansastan, and Novaya Rossiya were brought back into the Empire after major bloodshed but the inhabitants of Middle Finger were known as gifted strategists and resisted for several years. Overwhelming Gashikan military operations eventually crushed the Middle Finger fleet in 763 and the Empire occupied the planet, ending the Succession Wars.

Homo Quaddicus After decades of bioengineering research, Dr. Randolph Cay's efforts paid off when he created the first of one thousand super-workers in 776. Homo Quaddicus(Quaddies) have four arms instead of two, hence the name. They are also highly resistant to radiation, do not suffer from motion sickness, and show no signs of bone deterioration after long-term zero-G exposure. Not needing legs in space, Dr. Cay engineered the Quaddies with two additional arms where normal human legs would be. Although human genetic manipulation was outlawed after the Nuovo Brasilia military cloning fiasco, Quaddies continue to be a significant zero-gravity workforce within the Empire.

Eighth Julian Border Dispute The last serious border dispute before the devastating Gashikan-Julian War, this conflict was called the "Three Weeks War" after the Empire's aborted invasion of the Andran subsector in 805. New cluster mine defenses and refiitted League warships quickly turned the tide in the conflict, inflicting significant Gashikan naval losses before the Empire pulled out.

Julian-Gashikan War Seeking to crush the the northern politcal states of the League for good, the Second Empire of Gashikan mobilized the majority of it's corporate and naval fleets for a push into Mendan and Amdukan Sectors. The war lasted for thirty-two years, from 805 to 837, and the Empire of Gashikan achieved strategic surprise, seizing system after system with relative impunity until the League regrouped in the Battle of Luush in 833. Nine Gashikan battlefleets were lured into the strategic system by false intelligence, only to find the bulk of the League's Mendan Sector Fleet lying in wait. This overwhelming defeatat Luush sapped the Gashikan Navy's morale, leading to the humiliating capitulation by the Empire four years later. Over seventy billion casualties were inflicted on the League during the war and reparations by the Empire almost collapsed the Gashikan market several times throughout the twenty-year payoff.

Analava System War One of the most serious disasters to occur in Gashikan Sector was the Analava System War, which erupted in 888 over trade differences between the system's three colonized planets. Over 2 billion people were killed before the Gashikan Navy could intervene. All three worlds were left unable to support technological civilization due to the extensive used of nuclear weapons and viral agents. The causes of the Analava System War are still not entirely clear, but the Empire of Gashikan occupied the system and instituted a ten-year search for the individuals who may have incited the bloody conflict and flown before the final devastation.

Superjumpers In 901 the Second Empire of Gashikan bought 318 battle rider tenders from the Third Imperium in a multi-trillion credit deal. After being shipped to Garsten Yards, Great Ships, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries for refit, the renamed Superjumpers were placed into commercial service. Carrying megatons of cargo, these Superjumpers have vastly increased trade between the worlds of the Empire.

Keiar's Final War A balkanized world with a long history of warfare, the high-population world Keiar was destroyed in 909 after centuries of bloody conflict. Long-standing grievances between four powerful nations(Kerkyra, Perimor, Velathys, and Ni-Moya) culminated in a global bloodbath in which specialized combat constructs, bio weapons, "super soldiers", and high-tech off-world weaponry was used. Of the five billion inhabitants fewer tham 800,000 survived to reach safety among other planets of the Empire.

Tremendous-class Bolos Invented In 915 the first Tremendous-class Bolo, Nike, was fitted with an experimental "brain box" by Major Marina Stavarakis and her Project Decartes staff, creating the first truly self-aware Bolo in the Dinochrome Brigade's history. Field tests took place on the planet San Martin from 915 to 922, confirming the controllability of the Bolo by the command team and the reliability of it's hyper-heuristic hardware. Two 80cm Hellbore guns were mounted on the 15,000 ton chassis, enabling the Nike to fire on ships in orbit, which she did when a armored brigade of pirates raided the planet using several discarded naval ships in 922. Most current Empire Bolos are of the Tremendous-class design, each of which continually receives updated molecular circuitry and psychotronics. The Tremendous-class Bolos remained the heaviest Bolo ever deployed until the advanced Victorious-class Bolos were built in 1008.

Grayson Family When the Regency Council took over the Empire in -588 the surviving Grayson family members were outlawed from participating in any politics within the Empire. Since then the Grayson family has focused it's effort on industry and commerce, both inside and outside the Empire's boundaries. The vast Grayson Space Lines is directly controlled by the Grayson family as are several large mineral combines and terraforming firms as well as the powerful and immensely successful ComSat Inc, Gashikan's preiminent communications network. The Grayson family has steadily supported the reindustrialization and repair efforts within the Reformation Group and has significant ties in the Julian League, especially with the Rh/attes Republic and the powerful Jones Family of the Julian world Dakota. Since 955 the extended family has moved to create a communications cartel but they have been consistently thwarted by the Regency Council, who are eager to keep the Grayson family from regaining any of their former power.